" New York is to the Twentieth century what Rome and Florence were to the Fifteenth century - any artist has to have been there". (Authouart)

Born near Le Havre, Normandy in 1943, Daniel Authouart has a very different perspective on the world than you or I - or does he? Having grown up in post W.W.II France, he was inundated with des choses américains. American soldiers came to France with American music, American film, American products - an entire culture. This cultural bombardment had an affect on his youth - and in later years, on his oeuvre.He is keen on paiting atmospheres which are close to those seen through the camera's objective : bars where the light filters through the shutters and where nice girls and private detectives can be seen; garages full of old Cadillacs and Harleys. Thanks to his "drive-in", he manages to express his passion for American movies.
Daniel Authouart also loves symbols. In most of his paintings, you can find Coca Cola bottles or ads for the beverage, Mickey Mouse images, private detectives looking like Humphrey Bogart, references to films, singers or rock groups.
When Authouart creates a painting, the goal is not simply to decorate a canvas but rather to chronicle his time - our time. Who can argue that the American cultural and economic influences that have had such an effect on Authouart have not dominated the entire world over the last half century? One doesn't have to look too long or too hard to find Mickey Mouse, Elvis Presley or an American dollar bill in one of his pieces - or in the real world for that matter.
Thus captivated by America and the myth built around her, New York City street scenes have frequently provided the forum for his expression and have become somewhat of an Authouart signature.
A keen sense of what is going on in the world today and an incredibly imaginative way of expressing it on canvas are what sets Authouart apart from his contemporaries. His wry sense of humor, effective use of symbolism and incredible technical skills have insured his place in the world of modern day art. This was confirmed with his inclusion in the recently published book L'Aventure de L'Art au XXième Siecle. From Monet to Authouart it includes the most important artists of the 20th century. The first printing of this book very quickly sold out in France. An English text version has been printed in the UK entitled Art of the 20th Century.
From May 2nd - 15th, 1989, the city of Paris, in conjunction with the mayor's office, hosted a major retrospective of Authouart's works. Boasting some 60 large paintings brought together from private collections throughout Europe and the United States, the exhibit drew in excess of 15,000 visitors. Authouart's work has been admired and collected by many well known individuals as well, from French President Jacques Chirac to Janet Jackson.
Given the incredible detail of his work, the fact that all of his paintings are freely drawn by hand without aide of any projections and the painstakingly slow technique of the medium used (oil and acrylic on canvas), Authouart is able to create only a few original works per year. With the resultant rarity of his originals and faced with an ever growing demand, (he is one of the few French artists to sell his work before it is finished), Authouart has published more than 60 limited editions to date. These multiples are distributed world-wide, making his work affordable and accessible to larger numbers of people. ...

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